Interior (Architecture) and design

Category Archives: Inspirational+design

After a lot of research and questioning twistedVi13, I decided to go for a fresh start and refresh my blog. Thats why TwistedVi13. on’t be updated anymore from 23 september. I will continue my blogging journey on from then on.

Twistedvi.be is a upgraded and more professional version of twistedvi13.be.

I would love to see all of you guys who visit twistedvi13, back on twistedvi.be.

and I want to thank you for keeping up with me and reading my posts and supporting me.

I love a space with a great height, the day we buy our own place, I hope that we find a place with a high ceiling so we can use the space horizontally and vertically. This gives a great dynamic to the space.

A mezzanine is also a good solution for small places. If you have a place with few m² but a high ceiling, then definitely go for a mezzanine!

It’s been a while that I am after everything bright and white with a few touches of natural colors. The Scandinavian interiors stole my heart, but something has changed. My home is bright and white and I love it but more and more I am looking at heavier colors that go with that brightness of white.

Is someone out there who is feeling the same way?

Deep dark blues and greens combined with walnut wood and gold is the vision in my head…A little like these

Airbnb is a booming way to book a temporary residence for a citytrip or a longer holiday. Me and Mr P. are big fans of this new way of booking. The fun thing about Airbnb is going through different apartments ans looking at the fun ways to make a small place as functional as possible. It is comparable with Pinterest, when you start looking for a place specifically for you destination, lets say Côte d’Azure (our summer destination :p ), you somehow end up looking at apartments at LA (is what happened to me)!! So therefrom followed my wishlist (top 10) that I would like to share with you guys 🙂

Do you know any fun places to visit? let me know in the comments bellow 🙂

Who HATES wires as much as I do? So Ikea is about to launch it’s very first furniture that is able to charge our phones wirelessly. Isn’t that amazing?

According to Dezeen’s latest interview with Marcus Engman, the head of Ikea’s design in Sweden, he said: “We don’t want to go into electronics, we want to make the home smarter,”

This accessories are a collaboration between Ikea and Qi tech company. Google Nexus, HTC, Samsung and Nokia devices are already compatible with their induction charging system.

even though I hope that they expand the compatibility of this system soon enough, I already am a fan. A smarter use of the everyday furniture is the next big thing. This collection will be available at UK Ikea store from mid-April of this year.

We all believe Marcus Engman now about what he said last month : “I want to bring surprise back to Ikea.”

Today is the new release date of this month’s Urban Jungle Bloggers posts. This amazing blog made by the two talented Igor and Judithinterior and lifestyle bloggers, has all kind of inspirational posts about how to bring more green into our homes. Besides that, the monthly topic posts bring a community of bloggers together,ready to share their great idea’s.

So this month’s subject was “hanging plants”. After getting some inspiration from Pinterest and looking at all kind of cute hanging plants, I started (to plant my plants first) make the DIY macrames.

As you will see in the images bellow, I have an Ikea hanging planter, and two DIY hangers.The longest macrame is inspired by Pinterest but I must say, this was my 3th attempt to make it. So I decided to find an easier manner to make the second one . I will post the tutorial of the shorter one (the easy hanger) bellow.

Have you seen the new tray table? It is absolutely gorgeous. The multicolored finishing gives the table a new dimension. Besides the original 1970 Natural veneer, black and white finishing, now we also can enjoy the perfect combination of light and dark oak veneer. This table is an absolute functional furniture piece. It can be carried around by the finesse handle , the pieces are separable which makes it easier to replace or store the table away when one needs more space.

and because I can’t get anough of Carl Hansen & Søn‘s products by Hans J. Wegner, here are some more pictures. One word : Flawless!

These handmade Spa products are just amazing. The natural oils, soaps and their aroma’s , give me a summer feeling in the middle of February!

In my opinion ,the soaps and oils that I see in the big markets are usually not very attractive in their packaging. I personally, often purchase one because I am used to it or because I love the smell of it.

But the Terrible twins brown cardboard packaging in combination with the minimal Number branding and amber glasses… I love to have them on display in my bathroom and that is not a lie!

The artisanal little soap box is great to use as my cotton wool storage. It is absolutely more glamorous then the plastic bag they come in usually :)!

What I also love , are the letter candles! Just lovely to give them as a little present to anybody! and they can be used as a cute planter once they are empty. Double use , recycle … just what I love . I combined them with my DIY concrete houses. If you would like me to post a tutrotial about them, let me know in the comment section :)!

This is not all, Terrible twins has a little something to offer for everyone. This brand is definitely something that I would recommend as a present for her and him. An amazing spa treatment under the candle light. You cannot do any wrong with that ;)!

The cherry on the top of this cake, are the cute little handmade lavender hearts to keep the room fresh! From now on, every time I open my jewelry drawer, I don’t only see sparkles, I also smell them! Lovely!

I thank Terrible Twins Sweden for this amazing package!

Don’t forget to visit their website and learn more about the meaning of different numbers and collections.

Today I was looking at my portfolio website. The website I made when I was looking for a job with all of my schoolwork on it. And man I am impressed with my self. Some of those works , I was forgotten already. I decided that my work as an student is too precious to be forgotten for me. The nights I stayed up to finish them, I cried , laughed …

So I decided to now and then, share one them Twistedvi13.

Today , I will share my first art direction work. It is a collaboration with Mattia Pellegrini.

Kitchen is one of the most important area’s in the house. sometimes I can spend hours in there. So it is very important to me to have a inviting kitchen with well placed elements in there. I don’t want to stare at a white wall while I am cooking. I need to see beauty (besides the food of course 🙂 ) all around me to stay motivated.

So here are some pictures of my kitchen counter. As always, it is a mix up of traditional elements , some design elements and Ikea products.

Origami , One of the most ancient forms of 3D art. Origami is a part of the daily lif of a lot of Asian countries but we lost this beautiful form of art out of sight for a little while.

BUT, it made its way back! Origami is very hot in the design word at this moment. What was sometimes considered as kitsch is now the new GEO.

I have prepared two of my favorite origami works of all time. these elements are all handmade which make them all unique.

First one is Studio SnowPuppe, a Dutch design Studio specialized in making amazing lamp shades, handmade, in paper, in all sizes and colors! Pretty impressive.

These shades can be placed anywhere ! As a cute finishing touch in the nursery or a fun eye catcher in the office, you name it!

The Second one are the Art/Carpet/shade works of Elisa Strozyk, a German textile designer.

These amazing wooden Origami work is a 3D piece of art or a home element or both! The fact that her designs are so mudular makes them very interesting!

These products are hand made, piece by piece. That is already a fact that makes each element unique, besides that, the manner of how you choose to fold them, adds an other dimension of uniqueness to them.

A good looking interior doesn’t need to be expensive all the way. The art is to find a way to mix different elements up. For my living room I used a lot of IKEA furniture but I mixed it up with my all time favorite, the iconic Eames Rocker chair and a DIY low table.

The great part of a DIY project in your home, is that each piece is unique. Even if you got the idea from pinterest or somewhere else, the fact that it is made by your hands, makes every item exclusive!

I will try to post more of this mix-up interiors to give you some inspiration in how to combine iconic elements with more affordable furniture.

I would love to know what you guys think about my living room, and how yours looks like.

It is a space were we are most vulnerable and want to relax. The necessities are already present. All we can do is adding a few elements to make it more cosy.

There are some products that are perfect for this purpose. Beside the cosmetic use, these products also have a strong visual value due to the perfect branding. That is why they can easily be used as design object that give the bathroom that little finishing touch.

1. Aesop

My all time favorite, I think that a Aesop kit will be my Christmas present to myself. I still need to find a dealer in Belgium tho, anyone any ideas?

2. L:A BRUKET

I already managed to find a concept store in Brussels where I can buy this products. So this is also an option for christmass!!

3. Terrible Twins

Fun little products with a vintage vibe.

4. Studio Oliver Gustav

This brand has a higher luxurious look and handmade package. The price range is naturally a little bit higher but worth it.

5. Delbôve Cosmetics – Brussels

Last but DEFINITELY not least, I am proud to present to you this Belgian Brand.

I wasn’t able to visit the store yet but my holidays start from next week and visiting Delbôve at Abdijstraat 67 – 1050 Brussels is on my to do list. Stay tuned for more about this amazing brand.

Why I love Scandinavian design? Because those interior just feel like a fresh breeze through the daily life.I love the lightness of the space despite all those little objects and accessories. Everything is perfectly balanced. The use of the color white doesn’t cool down the atmosphere because of the presence of the neutral and warm colors in the accessories.

These two modern Scandinavian homes are currently featured on Stadshem Real state website. I would move to north just to live in one of these homes … Just love them.

Lately, I watched a stand up comedy show. Alex Agnew is the guy’s name. I am not a big fan of Flemish stand up comedy, I prefer the classic ones like Eddy Murphy shows. But this show’s subject was really interesting to me. It was about the fact that nowadays, we all want to have, do or even be something/someone special, out of ordinary…

I agree, I always try to create my own beauty by combining objects or by creating them myself. We can see this upcoming trend everywhere in the society. In our food, fashion , stores…

It is about that last one that I want to write today. Concept Stores.

I am always looking for fun shops to visit because I will always be surprised in those kind of stores. They often have products and brands that I don’t know about. That is a great way to find out about the latest trends. An other reason why I love concept stores is the fact that in a small country like Belgium, it is hard to find all of these Scandinavian stores that I LOVE, but some concept store offer a variety of those brands. they obviously don’t have all the products but it is better to have access to a few of them then nothing, isn’t it? :)!

I will post some pictures from my favorite concept stores that I visited during the passed weekend. They are all situated in Brussels.

I took some pictures from blender 01 and hunting and collecting shops but I couldn’t take any in hei shop & tea but I will gladly show you what I have purchased in hei shop.

hei shop & tea is a small store situated at chaussée de Charleroi in Brussels. I really love the light but warm atmosphere of this shop. The products available are mostly (if not all of them) Scandinavian brands like The house Doctor, Bloomingville, Snug, Scandinavisk etc. The young owners were very friendly and ready to help which makes any store instantly more appealing to spend your money in 🙂 !

A fun extra fact : they also have a small kitchenette were they have a variety of delicious cookies. Definitely worth to visit!

My favorite brands available at the moment – Bloomingville, Snug, The House doctor, Scandinavisk

Hunting and Collecting is a very white and minimal Concept stores with a variety of products. I just loved walking around in this shop. There is not a single product that you don’t want to (at least) touch! An overdose of trends. There is a little something for every one! This store is situated in the center of Brussels at rue des Chartreux.

Christmas is on its way… and everybody is in the holiday moods. The last two years, we used the same decoration for our Christmas tree…. but this year we won’t. With a new home and new life, comes a new Christmas Decoration. The colors that I chose for this year are Gold and white. We have mostly natural and pastel colors in our living room… a little bit of sparkle for the holidays doesn’t hurt :)!

I made my shopping list at Ikea’s. I will post the list with the prices (In Belgium) as well.The decoration design are very minimal and cute at the same time and also very affordable.

This small apartment is located in Ghent City in Belgium. This interior just brings a smile on my lips. So fresh, young and colorful. The specific combinations of vintage objects may seem random at the first sight, but there is a lot of thinking and and a pair of good eyes for details behind all of this.

This interior shows us that a color explosion ins an interior is possible. the use of lighter and pastel colors in combination with the white walls and a great amount of natural lighting, keeps everything balanced and fresh looking.

The Rococo looking wallpaper is the finishing touch . It insures that all the pieces fall into their places just perfectly.

I recently graduated from an art school and I know how many stuff a student can gather, specially when you are studying art. All the brushes, pencils, papers, etc…

Here are a few idea s to get your home office organized.

I love the look of Ikea Kvissle collection. The combination of the minimal white with the natural color of cork makes this items clean but cosy at the same time.

Some glass jars and glue or double sided tape, can help to create an extra storage space. The nice part of this, is the fact that the jars have their fixed spots and you can continue cooking on a clean counter top in the kitchen. This can also be used in the office space for storing smaller accessories like paper clips etc.

This combination on Nordic string, of the Tomado String in white with some copper accessories in a smart solution for storing books and other accessories that are frequently used. The fact that these shelves float above the table or floor, gives us the illusion that the space does not reduce in size, which makes this element perfect for smaller rooms.

Just as simple as clipping a few boxes together and give the a layer of painting, creates a big and affordable organizing possibility.

Students mostly have a lot of pieces of loose paper, post its, mind keys, pictures, inspirational posts etc. A fine rope and a few clothing clips can help to give a right place to all of those lose paper pieces that you want to keep in sight. Clever Type

This Office for Emu Films by Studio Swing,has created a lot of vertical storage space by using pegboards. I love the flexibly of this idea. The graphic visual makes this kind of storing very interesting. Be careful, the catchy part of using pugboards is, that it doesn’t have to get too loaded otherwise it wont look orderly anymore.

This brilliant idea to paint the clipboards in gold (or any other color) by Design Spong , is a affordable but great idea to bring color into your office in a playful and practical way.

Having a clean work desk, can help to increase concentration. I can imaging to have a phone charger , usb wire, pc charger, camera charger, maybe internet cable … All of this cables hanging around your desk, can become really annoying. This simple use of clipping boards may be a solution to this problem.

Recycling is the next hot thing. Next time you buy a can of beans,remember that you are buying your pen storage with it.

I can’t get enough of how useful pegboards and clothing pins are. You can personalize the clothing pins with colorful tapes to give them that little unique touch.

As you already know, I am a huge fan of typography. I think that introducing typography into an interior can be seen as a sort of pop-up visuals of your thoughts.

Be Pôles Studio is a branding studio based in Paris and New York. Their work is based on typography and simplicity. By using facts and translating those facts into a visual by using text and pictures, they make an image that lasts.

What I love the most about their amazing work is the purity of it. No blabla. Just Black and white on paper… and they are still able to produce such a strong visual and meaning.

Beside the branding, they also have a few items, mostly stationary, and a few other things like garbage cans in the same style. But I must say…these items are not JUST stationary. Their uniqueness is made by their simplicity.

I am very happy to be able to post about this “IT-item” by be-pôles: Le Sac en Papier #1.

This bags are made the old fashion way, the brown paper is the same brown bag that was used as a sugar storage. These bags ARE NOT one-time usage bags. They are strong and sustainable enough to be used multiple times for multiple purposes. Sustainability is one of the bullet points of be-pôles afterall.

That is the fun part! The style is so Minimal that it fits everywhere. I am using one for my plants and the other one as a storage for my blankets. But we are planning to redo our home office and I can’t wait to use them in there. I already have an idea of what I am going to use them for next…

In my post LightMania I briefly talked about the Nud Collection pendants. Now I can talk about them more profound because… I got one!! And I must say that all my expectations are fulfilled. The color of the cord, the branding details, the smooth concrete finishing… I am totally in love. This product was originally a pendant, but I like it much better as a gadget. That is why I asked the handy Mr P. to convert it to a standalone lighting element.

Another great point about the Nud Collection is the user-friendly website they have. It gives the viewer a wide overview of all products in a single glimpse. Their webshop is even better… you only need to make the combination you like and you immediately see the corresponding price.

This is a great no-nonsense Nordic design and we love it here. Let me know what you think in the comments.

Beside the fact that you have many options in bulbs and wires, you can also choose a flexible bulb. By that I mean that the lighting element and the bulb are separate (see in the pictures above). This makes life so much easier… Often, when you buy a bulb, the lighting element and the bulb are connected. That way if the lamp is broke, you have to order a complete new one… (can be pricey sometimes) But with this bulb, you can change the lamp whenever you want to… When it is broke or when you simply want to change… Which is genius!

Like and Share TwistedVi13. on WordPress and Facebook, and make a chance to win one of the handmade concrete houses in the picture.

Today’s lifestyle is one in which we spend a lot of our time seated (me included). Studies have shown that sitting for a long amount of time can cause heart diseases, a higher blood pressure, obesity and higher cholesterol, back and neck problems… and these are just a few of them. You would think that a lot of sport and exercise can help that but it is not always true. The fact is that sitting still is not the only problem, we are sitting wrong… Crossed legs can cause a slower blood circulation and knee problems, a wrong back posture is a huge cause of pack pain, etc.

Benoit Malta, a French Industrial Designer may be having the solution to that problem…

He has designed a 2 legged chair called ‘inactivité’ (thx for the ironic name). Maybe a bit odd at the first sight, but when you think about it, this can be THE step towards the solution.

This ‘simple’ wooden chair makes you use your leg and hip muscles to balance the chair. This is obviously not a lounge chair but all I can think about is why not?

I don’t think that this chair will be used in its actual form for the offices but this can be a step in the right direction. See for your self.

Nicolas Vahé is a French Chef cook born in Amiens in the northern part of France. Before becoming the best Frans chocolatier, he has been working at the “Pic Valence” , a French 3-star Michelin restaurant. In 2000 he moved to Denemarken and became a pastry chef. Beside his talent in combination of tastes, he started his own food concept brand in 2007 (Thank you for that). This blog is not a food blog of course BUT his packaging is just so genius that everybody should know about it. And now that we are in the spirit of typography, this fit perfectly in the content.

Nicolas Vahé has a great way to combine traditional food as we know it, with a modern and durable packaging. His products are delicious to eat and beautiful to have in the kitchen. I am a fan :).

Here are a few of the pictures from his new catalog that is online, you can find him by clicking Here.

I love to decorate the walls, I think that a good interior design begins on the floor and goes up to the ceiling. That of course does not mean that you have to hang something on every centimeter of the walls, but we definitely shouldn’t forget them either.

I love the black and white art. But what I love too, is change. I get tired of things very soon , I need movement in my environment. I cannot change my furniture every month or two but what I can do, is changing the accessories that I have around once in a while. This is also the reason why I like DIY’s so muc. I know that I can create something I like, I made it, and it is not too expensive so it can be changed when I get tired of it.

One of the least expensive and FUN DIY’s that you can do, is Typographic design. You just write a text or print a text that inspires you … That easy. It costs one paper and a little bit of ink. The rest is pure imagination! You tape those on the wall and you change them when you get tired of them.

These are some of the topographies that I have in my home.

This one hangs beside my bed. As you know, I have a big fascination for the stars and this text inspires me.

These three, hang above my Make Up table. the number 13 is my lucky number.Like most of the women in the world… I love CHANEL, seeing the the history of the N°5 CHANEL bottle in the morning, makes me feel luxurious over and over again :).

The all time favorite, Andy Warhol Quote, Moderna Museet – Stockholm Sweden. No words needed to explain that one.

These are a few topographies that I really LOVE, I think that a few of them will replace a few of the prints here above … very soon.

A minimalist Calendar, Pure and simple! Very handy too ! You can write your notes on it and keep it. I keep my calendar and agenda’s and once in a while I read one of the old once… It is like a diary but you have keywords instead of texts.

I think that this one will be hanging in the office soon enough ! CORBUSIER, LE ^

You have already noticed that I am a BIG fan of lighting, but it can become really expensive very soon, specially when you have a job like me and you see all the big brands in different projects everyday. But I often have to compromise… I have a few favorites that I will buy in the future (no doubt about that) but in the meanwhile I try to be creative without spending too much money.

So for today’s post , I prepared a Ikea Hack pendant lighting. This one is hanging in our office for the moment but as I told you before, the office is not finished yet, therefore the total picture of the office will be up later ( hopefully soon).

The total cost of this project is 16,98 €.

It is a combination of Ikea SEKOND in red and the LEDARE bulb.

The LEDARE bulb has a few texts and Ikea branding on it which I didn’t really like so I decides to cover them with a Black Matt tape.

I made a knot to make the whole thing more interesting. You can find the different kind of knots and how to do them by clicking here.

As I told you in my last post, the next few weeks will be a little busy because I am visiting a few exhibitions in Belgium, Germany and Venice. I visited the first one last friday and I was positively surprised. I found a lot of stands and products that I really liked.

After my visit , I concluded that there are 3 trend lines going on for the moment.
One is all about more expensive materials like marble and brons. On the other hand we have the cradle to cradle design that still exist and is entering 2015 as well but the new thing about that was the flexibility of the objects. The user gets the freedom to choose different pieces and put things together as he needs them like meccano pieces. A lot of products are modular and can be used in different forms which gives a huge flexibility to the user! Two in one … What is greater than that?

I made a selection of my favourite stands. Enjoy.

Neg

Flos Design ^

Dark Belgium ^

&Tradition ^

Hand Bend – One of my favorites !! Such an interesting concept ! Visit their site for more info . http://www.handbend.com ^

Pantone gave a full forecast based on the fashion shows and catwalk colors but it is enough to surf through the websites about interior design and design brands, and soon enough you will get a idea of the direction they are going to … and my 6th sense says Copper Orange and peachy pink are the upcoming color trends.

The months of October and November are the two most important months of the year for the interior designers. Why? The fashion shows are just finished and a lot of home accessory and furniture brands bring out their new collections during this period. There are also a lot of interior and design fairs going on. This Friday is Interieur Kortrijk 2015 in Belgium that I will be going to, Next week is Orgatec in Cologne, I will be attending that too and… begin November will be my favorite fair because it is going to be a special trip to somewhere magical, but I will tell you about that later on 🙂 .

Back to business . Here is my moodboard of the orange copper and peachy pink products.

Last year we saw a lot of relaxing pastel colors and a lot of gray and white in our interiors. 2015 seems to bring a little bit of warmth into our homes. If you think that coloring the walls is a bit too harsh for your taste, using colored accessories is a great way to introduce colors into your interior.

One of my specialties in Interior design seems to be(from what I hear at work) to find the perfect lighting that goes with an interior and the concept of it.

As I wrote in my previous post, I work in an interior design company which does projects for offices and a lot of the time we have conceptual works for which we propose different lighting. In that way I am familiar with a various typologies in lighting.

In this post I will give u a variety of the current pendant trends. To make everybody happy, I chose products that are high in trends but stay affordable.

Here bellow you will also find a list of the different products and their prices.

What I admire about the NUD Collection , is the flexibility of it. you are free to choose from a number of fun colors for the wiring and bulb designs, and thanks to the GREAT website, you can see directly the price of your composition! I LOVE this product because of the fact that you can go as affordable as you want and stay DESIGN and CLASSY at the same time.

Since we moved in our new apartment, all the rooms are practically done. But the office is still hanging in there. A lot of people (me included) forget about their work space at home. Of course we do have a table, a chair and a computer in there ( the necessities to be able to do your job) but the office can be one of the places where you spend a big amount of your time in and it must not be left behind. Specially in our home, keeping in mind that I work in a company who is specialized in the conceptual design, total renovations of offices and the NWOW(New Way Of Working)…

I am still searching for a good composition for our work space but in the meanwhile here are some (Pinterest) inspirations for you guys.

Sorry for my delay, I have promised to post an Ikea Basic crush each Saturday but unfortunately I don’t feel very well this weekend so I had a good long rest under the covers yesterday. Mr. P is taking a very good care of me… Green tea and honey, Soup … It feels good to have a caring person around.

Anyways… Back to the subject, when we moved in this apartment, we had two big holes in our wall which were supposed to be the connections for wall lamps. I hate wall lamps… So I decided to make something in between a pendant and a wall lamp (you know … compromise)! With a little help from the web I came up with this creation. It is something unique and everybody seems to like it even though it has a very particular Nordic style (which I love).

So today’s Ikea Basic Crush is a composition of 2 Ikea products. EKBY VALTER Console and SEKOND pendant cable.To hide the plastic lampholder, I used a beige cord.

The Lamp is a PLUMEN collection.

Total cost = 4,99 € + 2€ + 28,99€ = 35,98 €

The Plumen Lamp is a bit pricey compared to the total composition but you can choose any lamp you want for this project. Next Saturday I will show you an other DIY pendant creation in our office with a pimped up Ikea Lamp and a total cost of 18,98€ so stay tuned.